Trump Attending, Putin Not: A Difficult Dilemma for the Dutch Royal Couple

They had to think long and hard about it, and now a decision has been made.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will not be present at Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday. The same day marks King's Day celebrations in the Netherlands.

On Tuesday evening, the Royal House and the cabinet made the decision: the Dutch Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs will travel to Italy, while the Dutch royal couple will celebrate King's Day with their family in Doetinchem, the Netherlands.

The Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Minister of Foreign Affairs Caspar Veldkamp will therefore attend the funeral of the church leader, which will start on Saturday morning at 10 am at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Many heads of state will be present, including Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron, who have already confirmed their attendance. The Russian PresidentVladimir Putin has announced he will not be attending. Representing the European Union will be the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Costa.

(SR - Source: De Telegraaf - Image: ©Unsplash)